The present disclosure generally relates to the configuration of an extruded rail. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to the configuration of an extended side rail of a conveyor frame that allows mounting brackets to be positioned anywhere along the length of the conveyor frame, where the side rail includes a receiving and containment cavity for containing some of the metal shavings created by the mounting process.
Presently, many different extruded rails exist that allow external devices to be supported along the length of the rails. One common application for an extruded rail is as the side rail of a conveyor assembly. Typically, the side rails of a conveyor assembly include some type of open slot that allows mounting brackets to be selectively positioned along the length of the conveyor frame. These mounting brackets are typically secured to the side rail by utilizing some type of locking element received within the open slot formed within the extruded side rail. Once the securing element is positioned within the open side slot, a threaded connector is used to entrap the sidewall of the conveyor side rail between the mounting bracket and the locking element. Although this type of system has worked well in many applications, the open mounting channel creates a place for dirt and other contaminants to collect, which is undesirable especially in a dirty or dusty working environment.